Which of two events this week will prove to be the bigger moment of peril for America? After the indictment of Donald Trump last Thursday, there’s been much talk of the country entering uncharted territory. Mr Trump will make his way to Manhattan to be arrested tomorrow. That should lead to more details of the charges against him, and thus the seriousness of his legal jeopardy. Of course, future indictments in other cases could follow.
Does this pose a threat to American democracy? Some Republicans call the affair a witch-hunt. Perhaps it will become increasingly common for ex-presidents to face legal charges. Mr Trump, of course, is still an active politician. He denies wrongdoing, and may relish the coming legal combat as a fundraising opportunity that will ensure he remains the centre of attention in the race to become the Republican nominee for 2024. Other Western countries have prosecuted former leaders (hello Silvio Berlusconi, Nicolas Sarkozy) without incurring damage to democracy.
The other moment I’ll be watching, which may just be of greater significance than Mr Trump’s legal woes will be an expected meeting between Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, and the speaker of America’s House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. This is likely to happen on April 5th, as Ms Tsai stops over in California after a tour of Central America. This is taking place in a particularly gloomy time in international relations, as the suspicion between China and America reach perhaps their worst moment since the early 1970s.
Remember what happened the last time the speaker, then Nancy Pelosi, met members of Taiwan’s government? After that encounter, last summer, China launched a series of military “exercises” as cover for intimidation of Taiwan. Some military experts wonder if such exercises might one day be used to launch a real invasion. China may this time decide not to be quite so offended. But it is a moment of tension.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen become the latest world leaders to make their way to China for a state visit. We’ll be asking what role the presidents of France and the European Commission might hope to play there.
Much else is going on. India has just experienced its hottest December and February since 1901, and officials have warned of above-average temperatures until the end of May. My colleagues have written about the increasing severity of heatwaves in the region, and what this consequence of climate change means for its people.
The state of global housing markets has caught the attention of my colleagues in the Finance and economics section, who see a crunch in prices all over the place. And Chicago—my home for some happy years—will vote for a new mayor this week, around the same time that residents of nearby Wisconsin pick a new justice to sit on the state’s supreme court.
If you are looking for something different, let me recommend another of our Economist reads, in which we list a selection of books on a given theme. This time a colleague has chosen five graphic cartoon books with a focus on foreign affairs.
Otherwise, I urge you to listen to the latest episode of Money Talks, our podcast on business and economics. Our hosts—in Britain, Singapore and the United States—take on the challenge of reporting on entries of the A-Z of Economics. It’s the detail of a $1,500 sandwich that I can’t forget.
Thanks for your abundant commentary on Mr Trump’s looming arrest. Connie Remetch in Tucson, Arizona, disagrees with my comment last week that the Stormy Daniels case is “fairly trivial” (in comparison with other potential charges), but warns that the prosecutor should hold off bringing charges unless “he’s 99% sure he can make a convincing case”. Dimitri Musafia, in Italy, says the main problem is not the sight of a prosecutor going after a former president, but “how excruciatingly long it is taking” for the judicial system to act. My assumption, Dimitri, is that this process will roll on for a great deal longer yet. Borys Dragin, who grew up in the Soviet Union but now lives in Germany, thinks that Mr Trump has long been “subjected to unrestrained harassment”.
After so much speculation that it seemed America’s media might have just been repeating echoes, a grand jury has indeed indicted the 45th president of the United States. This is—to use a term that was worn out by the end of the Trump administration—historic. No president has been indicted before. Nor will this be the last of the indictments Mr Trump faces.
Travels abroad by Taiwan’s political leaders are always a diplomatic minefield. But especially prudent steps are required in the coming days, as the current president and a predecessor make unofficial visits to the two superpowers that may determine the island’s future.
One personality type occupies more attention in the workplace than any other. The “talented jerk”, whose alter-egos include such lovable characters as the “toxic rock star” and the “destructive hero”, is a staple of management literature. These are the people who smash both targets and team cohesion, who get stuff done and get away with behaving badly as a result.
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